Taang drabble
by KaylaHEHE
Summary: All about Toph :3 the best bender ever! I try to follow what happens in the ending of the series, but I don't go with the parings found in the legend of Korra, NO I SAY, Taang will be now and forever amazing. its my first fanfic tho: major pairings: Taang, Zutara, Sukka; minor pairings:Toko, Tokka, Kataang and Maiko
1. Catching up

**HIA THERE YOU CREEPERS! Gasp, so I've been reading Fanfiction for a few months, and let me tell you, I'M OBSESSED WITH AVATAR! whew, glad to get that off my chest, ANYWAYS, I'm not just obsessed with Avatar: The Last Airbender, I'm absolutely in love with the characters! My personal favorite is little Tophy! yeah yeah, I know she'd kill me if she knew I called her that name, whaat everrr, I just love her! Her sassy attitude and sarcasm just fill my heart with happy clouds filled with awesomeness. My favorite pairing? TAANG OF COURSE! Their just so cute :3 ... I guess Kataang is cute too, but... come ON, Earth + Air = 4eva 3. Enough of my ramblings, on with my first attempt at a fanfic... which of course is a Taang, and since there's ****Taang****, there has to be ****Zutara**** because they're my second favorite pairing and of course ****Sukka**** is there too! **

**~by the way, I do not, nor will I ever own the glorious creation known as Avatar: The Last Airbender, even if I did, I'm sure it would have sucked D: so be happy :D REVIEW PLEASE -that is... if you want me to finish it :D also...i need a name for this -_-'**

* * *

The former Fire Lord Ozai was defeated in a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching battle against Avatar Aang, the last airbender, and was rendered helpless. Aang, being the kind-hearted, 12-year-old boy he was, simply couldn't bring himself to kill the Phoenix King, luckily, a large sea-lion-turtle sensed his distress and taught him the ways of energy bending. Even with his new-found ability, the Avatar still needed to find a way to capture the Fire Lord without killing him, or being mortally injured himself. Since the comet was already upon them, and Lord Ozai would be most powerful, Aang had no other choice. He had to enter the Avatar State. One problem: he has to let go of the one girl he loves. However, with the fate of Ba Sing Sai and the world depending on him, he had to do it. So, he let her go. In doing so, he was able to enter the Avatar State and overpower Ozai, trapping him in stone shackles on his knees in front of him. Before Aang gives him the final blow, he pulls out of the Avatar State, his eyes and tattoos slowly fading from their bright white, into their normal blue. Still shaky from the power that's only just left him, he sighs, composing himself, only to step back up to Ozai, placing his thumbs on the firebenders chest and forehead and breathes deeply. As he exhales, a bright blue light shines out of his mouth and eyes, piercing the blood red sky, while Ozai's secretes a red-orange glow. Their energy's battle, for a moment Aang is almost taken over by the raw power of the contained Fire Lord, making his blue energy melt away until all but one eye was covered in Ozai's red energy. You might think, 'this is the end, Aang is done for.' But no, he snaps his head forward and his energy surges, taking back his body and fully taking over the firebender's as well. Exhausted, the Avatar pulls back looking down at the fallen Phoenix King. "What have you done to me?" he rasps, as he struggles to firebend. "I took away your firebending," Aang replies and stands a little straighter, "you won't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

* * *

It's been five years since the war with the fire nation has ended. After that kiss that Katara, master waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, and Aang shared out on the hotel deck, they they began to 'date.' Well, sort of anyways. It was known by everyone in the world that they were together, but they themselves never really figured it out. Aang was always nervous around her and never really asked her out. Sure, they said 'I love you' alot, and hugged and kissed at public occasions, but never really anything else. When Aang turned 15, and Katara was 17 they moved in with each other, even slept in the same bed, but when asked about their 'love life' they'd blush and look away, refusing to tell a soul that the farthest they've ever gone was a little bit of tongue kissing. Whenever Katara tried to 'spice up' their love life, Aang would get all flustered and confused, and would pull away from her, hopping on his glider and sailing away. Well, a girl can only take so much.

* * *

Every year since the fall of Ozai, the gaang, along with the rest of the world, gets together to celebrate the end of the war. Each year, the four nations (or three, since the Air Nomads only consisted of Aang for now) would switch off hosting it. The first year, the Earth Kingdom held it at King Boomi's Palace, it was a real rager, everyone had a great time, even Zuko, the crown Prince of the Fire Nation. His uncle Iroh had taken the throne and title of Fire Lord until Zuko turned the age of 22.

* * *

The next year was more laid back than the previous, it was held in the Fire Nation, and Iroh decided to have the whole capital city participate in a festival. All down main street there were Dragon Fruit vendors and rare silk shops. Katara and Suki the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors had enough to clothe an army of pretty ladies with all the dresses and jewelry they bought. Toph, the tough blind Earth Bender and only Metal Bender in the world, and Sokka, the goofy warrior from the Southern Water Tribe, ate so much Fire-Flakes and Dragon Fruit, that the shops had to close after both visited all of them.

* * *

The third year, all gathered down at the Southern Water Tribe, now that it had some time to be rebuilt. Since the war ended, many waterbenders and warriors from the Northern Water Tribe moved down to the Southern Water Tribe to help build their sister tribe. With the help of Sokka and his (somewhat) brilliant mind, they rebuilt the tribe from the little tents and igloos it once had, into tall buildings and shops similar to the Northern Tribe. The celebration that year was more elegant than the ones before it. The now large city contained a large dance hall with a connected seating hall with high ceilings and enough space for over 500 people to dance comfortably at the same time. All of the women wore beautiful flowing dresses the color of their respective nations. Katara in a beautiful blue and white dress that flowed behind her like water, her hair done up in loops and braids. Suki wore a green dress that had golden fans going up the sides of it, and she had her hair up, held in place by two fans, however she decided not to wear her Kyoshi makeup. Even Toph couldn't wiggle her way out of wearing a slim green dress that showed off her lean arms and calves, her hair was taken out of its classic bun and was let go, it reached down to her lower back since she didn't like to cut it. Other than that, she was still just normal old Toph, she hadn't changed much, still had her bangs covering her milky, unseeing, green eyes, and still never, ever wore shoes. Whereas the men wore robes of their respective nations, Aang in orange and yellow with the Air Nomad symbol on a chain around his neck. Sokka wore a light blue robe with a dark blue pants. He still had his classic wolf tail, but it was a little longer, and he had grown a little beard over the years and refused to shave it off, no matter how much his girlfriend Suki pleaded him to. Zuko, the studly man he is, wore a black undershirt with a bright red robe over it and black pants. The ends of his robe were slightly lighter, giving the effect that he was 'on fire'. Of course to add to his outfit was the crown he wore in his topknot. Mai, his crazy, unemotional girlfriend, was attached to his arm the whole night, casting evil glares at any girl that would come close to him. It was starting to get on his nerves.

* * *

The fourth Celebration was again in the Earth Kingdom. This time around, it was a formal event similar to the previous one in the Water Tribe. It was held at King Kui's Palace, whom had only recently been found and placed back on the throne after his day's in the 'wild' with his bear. This year, the women were to wear the color of the men they were escorting. Mai and Zuko were in red, Suki and Sokka wore various shades of blue, Katara and Aang had on yellow and orange, while Toph came dressed in green and brown, not because she was escorting an Earth Kingdom man, but because she came on her own, much to Zuko's annoyance.

**Flashback**

"Toph!" the powerful bender screamed, charging through the hallways of the Fire nation's Palace. "Toph you open this door now or i'll burn it to a crisp!" he yelled, reaching the door that held the defiant earthbender and banging on it loudly. On the other side of the door, Toph stirred in her sleep, rolling over in her silk bed and opening her eyes, not that it made a difference. She glared in the direction of the door and groaned, throwing a pillow at it and stuffing her head under the sheets. "Go away Hotpants!" she yelled, her voice muffled by the blankets, "I had a rough night with the guards last night and I need my beauty sleep!" Zuko gaped at the door then shook his head, he was used to her infuriating behavior after having her live in the palace for 3 years, and he was grateful for her presence since all their other friends were off somewhere else.

Aang went nation to nation trying to fix up the economy and stomping out any Ozai loyalists trying to restart the war in his absence. Sokka and Suki were to be wed the next coming spring, so they would go back and forth between Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe to prepare for their wedding. Ty Lee was somewhere on Kyoshi Island continuing her training as a Kyoshi Warrior with Aang's past life Kyoshi, she was to be the leader of the warriors as soon as Suki was married and she wanted to know as much as she could, so she prayed for months to Kyoshi to aid her in her learning. Katara, his sweet Katara, 'No!' he scolded himself 'Katara is not yours, you love Mai' was in the North Pole teaching Waterbending to the girls of their city since they were deprived of learning because of their gender. That only left little Toph, she had nowhere to go after hitching a ride with Aang the first year after the war and travaling with him, but she decided it was too boring and that Zuko's guards needed someone to keep them in line. So, Zuko said she could stay as long as she liked, the tiny war-hero seemed to not care one way or another, but the Fire Prince knew better, he could see the hope in her eyes when she asked, and the little sparkal she had once he said yes. Honestly, he was happy to have her there, she brought life into the palace and a smile to everyone's faces, and she did keep his guards in line, and after a while, he came to think of her as the younger sister he's always wanted. (er... except for Azula, but she doesn't count cuz she's crazy)

He glared at the door and pounded again "No Toph, I don't care if you were up all night harassing my guards, I need to talk to you about the End of the War Celebration, It's important! Open the stupid door!" he wiggled the door handle roughly and kept calling her name, he didn't care that there were servants passing by and looking at him, he needed to talk to her now! Toph rolled out of the bed with a huff and landed on the ground on her hands and knees grumbling something about annoying firebenders and crawled over to the door and unlocked it and stood up as Zuko burst through the door. The angry firebender ran into the room so fast he didn't have time to realize there was a barely clothed earthbender in the way and proceeded to crash into her landing on top of her. A very un-Toph-like squeak left her mouth as she was rammed with something strong and warm and crushed to the ground. "What the hell Sparky!" she screamed, "get off me! You weigh more than Appa does!" Zuko's face had gone completely red, having just noticed that Toph was only in bindings that barely covered her body parts. They had fallen so that Toph's face was buried into his lower chest, her own chest pressed against his lower stomach, and her legs had gotten wrapped around him somehow, the worst part was that when they fell, they skidded a little causing their legs to be trapped under the desk placed next to the door. Zuko panicked not only was he extremely aware of her lack of clothing, his stupid hormone packed body seemed to love the feeling of her cool silky skin pressed against his, but also he realized that anyone passing by would get the wrong idea. He, being the half naked 20 year old, soon to be Fire Lord laying on top of a barely clothed 16 year old blind earthbender. Toph could feel his body heat raise as he seemed to be blushing at their unusall contact and hissed into his chest, "calm down Sparky, your heart is giving me a headache and your skin is just about burning me alive, whats wrong?" The firebender blushed harder and managed to rasp out, "N-n-nothing Toph, you surprised me is all." Toph was able to pull her head out from his chest to glare in his direction, "Hotpants, you seem to not notice that i'm literally against your heart, I can FEEL you lying," she sighed, making her chest push farther into him and he blushed harder at the action. "yeah whatever, Toph you need to get your legs off of me so I can get up," he said, gaining a little more control of his hormone crazed mind. "Well, don't ya think I would have moved if I could?" She hissed back at him rocking her hips around, showing him that she was trapped. Zuko groaned quietly at her movement against him and cleared his throat, "well, think of a way to get out of this then!" Toph thought for a moment, laying her head back, seeming to be deep in thought then popped her eyes open and grinned. "I got this," she said confidently and began to wiggle against him, moving a few inches up his body. The feeling of her skin against his made Zuko gasp and groan in pleasure, making Toph stop moving and turning her head tword him, concern on her face, "You okay? Did I hurt you?" she asks him. Even though Toph was 16, the legal marrying age, Zuko was quite sure she was still very innocent when it came to sexual things, and decided not to tell her. "Yeah, I'm fine, keep going, I see what your trying to do." She nodded and continued to squirm against him, rolling her hips and pulling herself along him with her legs, she stopped when her legs were around his waste and collapsed, exahusted. "It's too early for this," she pants and closed her eyes, "your turn." Zuko nodded and tried to do what she'd been doing, but couldn't figure out how the heck she was moving, so he tried rocking his hips forward to move himself back, but only succeeded in rubbing against her pleasure spot with his own. They both let out a gasp and against his better judgment, Zuko did it again, a little harder and Toph felt both of their hearts speed up. "Z-Z-Zuko," she breathed, her face red, "what...what did you do?" she asked confused, she'd never felt that feeling before, and she had to admit, she liked it. "I... nothing, I'm sorry Toph," he says, pulling his brain away from all the things he wanted to do right now, and figured out how to pull her all the way out from under him. He grabbed her elbows and pulled gently, she slid slowly forward, but in the process, brushed their parts again, she gasped and he groaned, but he ignored it and kept pulling, feeling her sliky smooth skin slide against him. He shuddered when he thought of what her skin would feel like on other parts of his body, but again pushed the thoughts away, pulling her so her head was past his, and his head was directly above her chest. Both of their faces turned red and Zuko just seemed to stare down at the beautiful globes, glistening in sweat and moving up and down slowly as she breathed. He shook his head and pulled her hard, finally getting her legs up and around his shoulders and over his head. He collapsed on the ground and pulled himself out from under the desk, standing catching his breath. After Zuko pulled her out, Toph got up and walked to the bed, watching him with her feet as he moved around the ground and standing up, he walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed.

"So..." Toph said after a while of silence, she didn't like it when people were too quiet, "why..." She was cut off by Zuko as he rapidly explained what had happened, "Toph I'm so, so, so sorry, it's just that Mai has been so cold to me lately and your skin is so... smooth and soft and..." he trailed off as he looked at the earthbender rolling on the bed, seeming to be laughing at him. "What's so funny!?" he screamed at her, he was confused, was his pass at her so stupid that she felt the need to laugh about it? "Nothing," she says, finally slowing her laughs to little giggles, "it's just i was going to ask why you came to my room in the first place, you said it was important?" she says, starting to pick at her toes. "Oh...Oh! yes, Toph" he turns to her and addresses her in his very best Fire Lord tone, "I heard you weren't going to the Celebration with anyone." The little earthbender tilts her head and quirks an eyebrow, "yeah, so?" The Fire Prince's mouth drops open, "So...? SO?! What do you mean so?! You need an escort Toph! You're 16 already! By Earth Kingdom tradition, you SHOULD be married and sire a child already! Of course you need an escort!" At this, the earthbender seemed to shut down and seemed to look at the floor coldly, "well, news flash Fire Lord Asshole, I'm not married, I don't have children, and i'm NOT in the Earth Kingdom right now. Also, who the hell gave you the right to tell me when to marry? Your 20 years old for spirit's sake! I don't see YOU snuggling up to Mai and asking her to be your bride. So why don't you just shut the hell up, and get OUT OF MY ROOM!" she screams at him, earthbending him out, ripping the carpet in the process.

Zuko had felt bad for what he'd said, and didn't blame her for acting the way she did, but after their conversation she seemed to be more cold around him, she barely talked to him, and always addressed him as Prince Zuko, or Sir. He hated it. He missed the nick names and the playful punches, and when she would visit him in his study when he had paperwork to do, he always cheered him up, and now he had no one. Three days before the Celebration he'd had enough, he wanted his little sister back, so he went to her room and knocked softly on the door. "Toph? It's me, please let me in, I want to apologize " he pleaded, he could hear her moving around in her room and sighed as she came close to the door. She stopped and seemed to hesitate before opening it and stepping up to him, "yes my Lord?" she asked, in her best proper voice she had. Since their fight, she'd been acting the way she had at her home in Garoling, fake and proper. "No," he says firmly, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly, "I want you to call me Hotpants and Sparky and Hothead again, I want you to tease me like good little sisters do, please Toph, I can't take your cold shoulder, you've grown too much on me to just turn away like this. I'm sorry for trying to control you, I won't do it again." he looked down at her, she seemed to be thinking of something, her bangs covering the top half of her face. He brushed them out of her face and whispered, "please Tophy, forgive me." He felt a hard whack to his shoulder and winced, "Don't. Call. Me. Tophy." she hissed, a small grin escaping her lips in doing so. Zuko just caught it and smiled broadly, he had her back, he still wasn't happy that she was going alone, but if it's what she wants, then hell, who was he to judge? The Fire Prince rubbed his arm and grinned, "I love you too, Tophy" With that he ran down the hall way laughing as the short earthbender chased after him laughing loudly.

* * *

Two years after the war, the short earthbender began to blossom, her hips and chest began to develop (much to her annoyance, she complained they got in the way of her earthbending and threw off her balance) her face lost some of its baby-ness and made her look more elegant. She hadn't lost her toughness, nor her spunk, she simply started to integrate new emotions to her personality, such as compassion and love. Over the next year (that's 3 years after the war, for those of you counting) she continued to develop physically and emotionally. She'd grown perhaps two inches taller (she guessed that this was about as tall as she was going to grow, she didn't care, the taller she got, the father she felt from the earth anyways) and she realized that her budding chest and slightly widening hips were only the beginning, they continued to grow at a rapid rate, so quickly in fact that she all but vanished for a year after the 3rd Celebration, claiming that she had grown detached from her beloved element and she needed a vacation from her carpeted floor of her room at the Fire Lord's Palace. She fled back to her home in Garoling. Sure, she hated it there, it made her feel trapped, but she needed something familiar and someone to explain what the heck was happening to her body lately. She spent most of her time that year in her back yard, deep underground in a cave she'd found when she was four. There, she perfected her metalbending, and almost mastered sandbending, she still needed to get revenge on those stupid sandbenders they encountered in the desert, those bastards that stole Appa and left her helpless, the worst part was Aang blamed her for it, screaming at her, and she accepted that she'd messed up, but there was nothing she could have done. It still made her blood boil to think about those creeps, and then that stupid kid thought he could lie to her about it! How stupid. Like a firebender, she focused all of her hatred and anger she had twords those stupid sandbenders and used it to fuel her training. Some Days she'd train for 20 hours at a time with no breaks. Her legs and arms would shake, she'd be drenched in sweat, exhaustion very obvious in her broken eyes, yet she still would not quit. Bending helped clear her head, instead of always thinking. 'thinking' she would scoff to herself, 'what a waste of time, and all of these stupid emotions confuse me! Aren't these dumb boobs done growing yet?! I can't fit in my training shirts anymore, and when I wash, they don't even fit in my hands!' During the time she wasn't spent underground, she'd be in the rock garden her mother and father had installed for her when they read the scroll that said she'd be coming home for a bit, hoping they could persuade her to stay longer.

_"Hey Mom and Pop,_

_Okay I know It's been awhile since you heard from me, four years if I remember correctly. So here's what's happening, I figure i'll come home for a little while to help keep your guards in line. It's too easy for intruders to enter, after all, an innocent blind 12 year old girl just got up and left, kicking all of your guards butts in the process. Don't get excited, I'm not staying for more than a month. I'll be there in two weeks, don't send for me, I can find my own way._

_ps: No I did not magically gain my eyesight back in some sort of miracle, I'm having my good friend Iroh write this for me. You know him as the Fire Lord. Also, don't be so hard on Aang, he didn't kidnap me as you were led to believe, I ran away, don't hold it against him, if you're angry, take it up with me, 'see' you soon._

_-Toph_

* * *

**YAY - first chapter done, okay so I know I said this would be a Taang fic, AND IT WILL BE, I just read a little bit of Toko, and thought it would be cool to try, trust me on this, most likely, i'll keep them strictly as brother and sister relationship. But ya gotta admit, kinda cute to think about... but... THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! ~ Hopefully, next chapter i'll get some taang started. :3 let me know if you think I should continue it, REMEMBER it was my first try, don't hate too bad :I**


	2. Too Easy

**Hey there! Anyone out there? I'm not sure cuz no one commented on the first chapter D: I'LL EVEN EXCEPT FLAME! PLEASE D: WHY WON'T ANYONE LOVE ME! anyways... so yeah, this is chapter two, don't have a title yet, for the chapter or the actual story, so anyone have ideas? PLEASE R&R, if you don't, how will I know how bad I am?**

**~I am nothing, therefore; I own nothing. The only thing I take credit for is the plot i've began (which really is no plot at all, I just make it up as i go), nothing prior. **

* * *

Toph was mad. Not only had she stayed at her old home in Gaoling way longer than she'd expected, but during the year long stay, she realized something terrible about herself. She was afraid.

* * *

**On a random island between Kyoshi Island and the Fire Nation**

The Avatar and his girlfriend were on their way to the Fire Nation Palace for the Fifth End of the War Celebration. Aang secretly hoped that this year would be a formal one like they'd had the past two years. He enjoyed seeing all of the pretty colors of the nations mixing together to make an interesting mis-matched rainbow, filled with reds, greens and blues. They had stopped at an island between Kyoshi Island, where they'd been staying for a few months after Sokka and Suki got back from their year-long honeymoon, and the Fire Nation to reload their supplies. The newly-weds said they'd be along in a month or so, so the Avatar and his girlfriend loaded up the big fuzz-bucket and started out alone. During the rest stop Aang decided to talk to Katara about the upcoming Celebration. They'd gotten more supplies and were sitting around a fire with supper when he chose to bring it up.

"I don't care if you don't have fun at the Celebration!" the older waterbender screamed, frustrated at her younger airbending boyfriend "Nor do I care that your ceremonial robes are '_too itch_y,' you're the Avatar for crying out loud! You have to go! You're the symbol of friggen peace for spirit's sake! Mostly everyone goes to this stupid party every year to celebrate something _YOU_ did!"

Aang looked down at his toes, which were farther away than they were five years ago, he now towered over his girlfriend and rivaled the Fire Prince Zuko in height. He didn't like it when Katara yelled at him, he liked it less when she was disappointed in him. It was odd, the waterbender had been very un-kind twords him in the past two years. He didn't know what to do about her rash behavior as of late. It seemed that every time he tried to talk to her, she ended up screaming at him for some reason, and when he tried (so, so hard) to fix whatever he had done, she'd only scream louder, or flat out ignore him. He was beginning to wonder why he'd felt so attached to her in the first place, but then he'd mentally slap himself for even thinking it. He loved Katara with all his heart, she'd been there since the beginning, her beautiful blue eyes were the first ones he looked into when he was taken out of that ice berg, her eyes held so much love, for a boy she'd only just met. _'Then again'_ he thought to himself, _'now that I think back, she looks that way at everyone she meets, it's an immediate reaction to anyone helpless or small. But that's good too, I like caring women, as long as I'm the only one she cares for in a deeper way.' _Even if her heart was big enough to fit the whole world into it, he sometimes selfishly wanted her to only care for him, and that was not the way to think.

"I KNOW!" he says back to her in a firm, yet controlled tone (he called this his 'Avatar Voice'... Toph just called it stupid) "I didn't say anything about NOT going, I simply said that I wished it wasn't in the Fire Nation this year. Please don't put words into my mouth," he pauses to hold his hand up, as he could tell she wanted to interrupt. 'I DON'T PUT WORDS INTO HIS MOUTH!' she screamed in her head. The Monk shook his head and continued, "I also didn't say that I didn't have fun at the Celebration, I said that they were boring," he paused again, his face scrunched into a scowl and he raised his voice for his last point, "Also, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR STUPID WOOL ROBES TO A NATION BUILT IN A VOLCANO, OF COURSE IT'S ITCHY!". No matter, the waterbender was barely listening to him, still fuming about the 'put words into my mouth' part. The agitated Avatar grunted, as his happy mood had all but evaporated and his face was scrunched into a frown. "Clearly, you're not in the right state of mind to deal with this. I simply wanted to tell you my thoughts on the Celebration, but you are in a bad mood, so I guess we'll just drop the subject," he says, his voice firm, with a tinge of sass. He got up from the bench he'd raised by earthbending and stomped over to his glider, tapping it to the ground, with more force than needed, and watched the blue strips of fabric opened with a _swish_.

Finally noticing he'd stopped talking, Katara snapped her head up to look at the retreating airbender, "and where do you think YOU'RE going?" she snapped at him, getting up off the stump she'd been sitting on and throwing her bowl of stew down on it.

"For a glide!" he replied, not turning around.

"But we still have to finish packing!" she yelled and began counting on her fingers for each task she pointed out, "and feed Appa, find Leechy Nuts for Momo, and take off for the Fire Nation in an hour!" she finished, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the Avatar, who had turned and seemed to be counting to ten in his head.

In one swift motion of his arm, Aang managed to airbend all of their supplies and packs into Appa's saddle while sliding his foot to the side, earthbending the straw, settled under a tree, tword the flying bison, who munched on it gratefully. "There." he said pointedly, "I have plenty of Leechy Nuts for Momo on the saddle, now I'm going for a glide, you can head to the Fire Nation on Appa when he's done eating... I'll uh see you there." With that he turned quickly and jumped in the air, propelling himself forward with speed only an airbender could attain.

"Yeah! Great Aang, run away, that's all you ever do!" Katara huffed and flopped down on the stump, forgetting she'd set her stew there. In a matter of moments an angered curse echoed through the forest. Katara stomped off to the river to clean herself, and the Avatar's gliding outline was lost in the retreating rays sunset.

* * *

**On a Fire Nation Air Ship**

Zuko had nearly paced a circle in the floor of his small room on the air ship, "Are you sure that all of the preparations are set for the Celebration?" he asked his Uncle, whom was sitting on the Princes bed sipping from a cup of Jasmine Tea.

"Yes, Prince Zuko, everything is coming together," the Fire Lord replied calmly to his nephew. "The RSVP's we're all accounted for, and an extra 50 or so chairs shall be set at tables in case anyone changes their minds," he took a long sip, "music has been selected, the food is all prepared, the throne room has been converted into a dance floor, and every room in the Palace has sheets and towels in them. All that's left is to get Lady Toph from her home, she did not RSVP, but I know she would not want to miss this."

The last statement made the Fire Prince look up and stop his pacing, "What do you mean Uncle? What are you planning? And why did I have to come along?" The Fire Lord had not told Zuko the reason that he pulled the Prince away from the remaining Peace papers needed to be signed, he only said that it was important and it would mean a lot to him. So Zuko, reluctantly, agreed.

"Planning? Why my dear nephew, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Iroh replied coily, taking a sip of his tea only to recoil with a face of discust and re-heat his now cold Jasmine tea, "as for you coming along, Miss Bei Fong will need some," he paused to think of a word to best describe what she'd need, "incoragement," he supplied, twirling his wrist for effect, "she must be missing us all very much, and I myself have found my mind drifting tword Lady Toph, she was such a joy to have around." he paused, watching Zuko smile slightly and nod.

"The guards have never been so attentive," the Fire Prince said, his voice low and eyes far away, "but you haven't told me why it has to be me," he sighed and shook his head. "I do miss Toph, my arms feel odd without bruises covering them," he said smiling and rubbing his arms. The little earthbender wasn't one to talk about feelings, but when he needed her, she'd sit and let him pour his soul out and wash his mind from all that ailed him, in the end, she'd give her advice, stand up and hit him in the arm giving him her form of comfort.

She didn't show her emotions like others, no, when Toph felt happy she'd grin and laugh and bust rocks open. When she was sad, she would shy away from everyone and stay in her room, then one day appear at dinner like nothing had happened. You didn't want to get in the way of an angry Toph, there's no need to say why. But when she felt love or affection twords someone, like a friends or family, they were rewarded with a grin, a few sarcastic remarks, and a punch to the arm.

"Surely she'd want, I don't know, Suki or Katara, or some kind of girl to go and retrieve her," Zuko finished, sitting next to his Uncle.

The old man chuckled, "you and her became rather close after the war, she rarely left the palace," he took another long sip of his now hot tea, "she's like family to me, and I can tell she means a lot to you as well," he said looking up at his nephew watching him nod. "I think of her as a daughter like I do you as my son, which would make her your sister, do you feel that way?"

Zuko thought for a moment, the wheels turning in his head. At first he'd thought Uncle was sending him to Toph to attempt to marry her off to him, but now that he thought of it, she was like a sister to him. Not that he had much to go off of, Azula was not exactly the best person to compare to, but it's all he had. He never remembered feeling protective of Azula the way he did with Toph. The only emotions he ever felt for his biological sister were fear, anger, and pity when she finally snapped under the pressures of Royalty. With the little earthbender, he felt happy, and smiled alot more. He dreaded the day that she'd start to notice boys, since the servant boys already seemed to notice Toph's blossoming body and pretty face. When they had, Zuko wanted to do a few things. He wanted to burn their little grins off their faces, or shut Toph away where no one would hurt her. He knew he couldn't do that, she could take care of herself, and she deserved to be happy with a man, but if any of them broke her heart, he'd personally see to their demise.

He smiled then, "yeah, I guess I do."

The Fire Lord nodded, "and I'm sure she thinks of you as her sibling as well. I know she wants to be here, she spoke to me before her little 'vacation.' Lady Toph figured she'd be able to leave after only a month, but told me to send someone to pick her up for the Celebration if she was gone too long. I would have gone by myself, but then I thought maybe she'd like some young friends. Better yet have her adopted brother come to see her after being secluded for so long." He got up from the bed and shuffled to the door, but turned in back to his nephew to add, "She had a pretty lonely life while growing up. Being here with us must give her a wonderful feeling of unity. Now imagine her at her parents house right now, after having freedom for five years and being with people who love her, now sitting alone in her bedroom, how do you think she feels?" and he left the room

This made Zuko think of how he felt when he was young after his mother left. He'd felt so alone, with only his crazy father, his mean sister and her friends around him. He felt so alone. Thinking of his little Tophy feeling that way was enough to break his heart, she'd been though so much, and she didn't deserve to feel that way. He got up quickly, and rushed out the door yelling commands at the crew to 'make this damn airship go faster.'

* * *

**On Kyoshi Island**

"Sokka let's go!" the head Kyoshi Warrior bellowed with a hand placed on her slightly extended stomach, her other on her hip. She winced when she heard a crash in the direction of their bedroom.

"Yes my beautiful Suki-poo!" he called, "I'm coming!"

The Warrior smiled faintly at the nickname her husband had given her, but quickly wiped it off to snap, "Don't give me that, we were supposed to leave at sunrise, it's all ready noon! Aang and Katara must be only an hour or so away from the palace by now!" she tapped her foot and glared at her husband, who was crawling out of the doorway, clothes covering him. "Why must you bring _all_ of our belongings?" she asks, bending over to help him pick up the things that sprung out of the suitcase, "It's not like we're moving into the Palace."

There was a grunt as the watertribe warrior disappeared under the clothing pile then popped up to stuff most of them into a large suitcase, "because my darling," he replies, wiggling his eyebrows, "we need to be prepared that's why, especially if your sickness continues this way. I swear, i've seen you eat more in one day than a whale-seal can eat in a week! Not only that, you keep throwing it up, I don't see how you're getting a tummy like that, everytime you eat, you just throw it back up," he continued, poking Suki's stomach. She grimaced, she hadn't told Sokka about their situation yet, and she didn't plan on telling him now.

"So you're making us late, AND calling me fat? That's just great Sokka, thanks, I really needed that," she scoffs and stomps off tword the docks and their waiting boat.

"What? No! Sukki come back! I'm sorry!" the watertribe warrior squeaked and ran, bags in each hand, after his wife.

"Oh Sokka, you really are too easy." Suki mumbled as she walked onto the ship.


End file.
